Work-holder.



D. S. WHITAKER. WORK HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00122, 1909. I

970,586. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

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DAVID SPIER WHITAKER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOIR. OF ONE-HALF TO THEODORE H. NORTHRUP, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

WORK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID SPIER WVHI'r- AKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVork Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means ada ted to facilitate the whipstitching of nap (ins, table cloths, etc., my object belng to provide a device which enables the operator to avoid sticking the finger with the needle.

By virtue of my improved device, the speed and ease of whipstitching are greatly increased. The device is graduated to form a rule and is also provided with a threadcutting feature.

Generally speaking the device consists of two strips of steel or other suitable material connected near their opposite ends by hinge members. This device is applied to the cloth, when in use and holds the edges firmly in position, the two strips being held together by the pressure of the left hand.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective View, showing the device applied and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the device open, whereby the two members lie in the same plane. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device shown in detail and in the closed position. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numerals 5 and 6 designate two relatively narrow strips of steel, or other suitable material, which are connected at their opposite extremities by hinges 7, each hinge consisting of two members 8 secured to the members 5 and 6 by fastening devices 9. The hinge members are connected with the strips 5 and 6 in such a manner as to leave a space 10 between the strips, when the device is open, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the edges 12 of the material to be whipstitched are allowed to protrude a convenient distance, when the device is in use, as shown in Fig. 1.

The member 5 which is uppermost when the device is in use is preferably graduated, as shown at 13, whereby a rule, or measuring device is formed. This feature is convenient for measuring the width or depth of the fold. It is preferred that the strips 5 and 6 shall be about six inches in length. The outer edges of the two strips are respectively provided with recesses 141-, which are arranged in staggered relation to facilitate the opening of the two members, when they are folded or in the closed position. One extremity of each of the members 5 and 6 is also provided with a thread-cutting recess 15.

From the foregoing description, the use of my improved device will be readily understood. The article to be whipstitched may first be folded as illustrated in Fig. 1, after which the device is applied thereto and held in place thereon with one hand of the user, while the whipstitehing is performed by the other hand. In this event the edges 12 to be sewed are caused to protrude beyond the edges of the strips 5 and (5 a sufficient distance for the purpose. The joints of the two hinges protrude sni'liciently beyond the edges of the members 5 and 6 to permit the edges to be sewed to protrude the desired distance.

It must be understood that the strips 4' and 6 may be made of flexible material, whereby the device may be bent while in use in order to sew an article where the edges are curved, as in sewing sleeves into a shirt waist, or other garment. For this purpose the strips may be made of very thin steel, of celluloid, rubber properly vulcanized, or any other suitable flexible material.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising two flat members hinged together near their extremities, two members being secured to the hinge at predetermined separated points on the opposite sides of the hinge joint, when they lie in the same plane, sufficiently to cause the hinge joint to protrude beyond the edges of the members when the latter are applied in opposing relation to the article to be stitched.

2. A work holder comprising two flat members hinged together near their extremities, the two members being secured to the hinges at a distance from the hin e joints on opposite sides of said joints su ciently to cause the two members when in opposing relation to be held at a distance from the hinge joints to allow the edges of the article to be stitched to protrude beyond the edges of the opposing members without interference w1th the hlnged joints the two members having beveled recesses in staggered relation on their adjacent outer edges, and one of the said members being provided with a graduated surface. I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID SPIER WHITAKER. Witnesses:

Jnssm F. HOB'ART, A. EBERT OBRIEN.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 970,586, granted September 20,

1910, upon the application of David Spier Whitaker, of Denver, Colorado, for an improvement in Work-Holders, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 106, before the word two the article the should be inserted; and that the said. Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Otfice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of October, A. D., 1910.

[SEAL] E. B. Moonn,

obm'rm'ssz'oner of Patents. 

